[[Image:Bill Ferny from Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings.jpg|thumb|Bill Ferny from [[Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings]].]]

'''Bill Ferny''' spied on [[Frodo Baggins|Frodo]] in [[Bree]]. He was noticed relaying details of the [[Hobbits]]' adventures at the [[Prancing Pony]] to one of the [[Nazgûl]], this event witnessed by [[Meriadoc Brandybuck]].

'''Bill Ferny''' spied on [[Frodo Baggins|Frodo]] in [[Bree]]. He was noticed relaying details of the [[Hobbits]]' adventures at the [[Prancing Pony]] to one of the [[Nazgûl]], this event witnessed by [[Meriadoc Brandybuck]].

After the attempted murder of the four hobbits in the raid of the Prancing Pony Inn by the Nazgûl, the travellers had to buy a pony, since during the raid all the ponies and donkeys were let loose from the Inn's stable. Bill's pony - whom Sam afterwards also named Bill - was the only mount left available for sale in the town, so Strider and the hobbits had no choice but to buy this mistreated, miserable looking creature for 12 silver pennies (apparently a most unfair price). The Hobbits then left Bree with Strider, taking the main street. Bill Ferny jeered at Strider, who merely nodded in response. Sam, however, was not so reticent, hitting Ferny in the face with a quickly-thrown apple. Sam, who took a liking to the pony, later named it Bill the Pony.